Monday, July 31, 2006
Seattle is Not Immune
One of the reasons I started this blog was to gush about Seattle and its environs. Everybody knows I love living here and I cannot understand why anyone would move away once they had experienced the Puget Sound area--the smell, the feel, the coolness when the rest of the country is burning up. High today will be sunshine and 68 degrees.
But this summer we have had some horrible horrible things happen here. Nice, polite, prissy, intellectual Seattle has been slapped in the face with unspeakable violence. On July 11, a 56 year old Mom and her 27 year old daughter went for a day hike off the Mountain Loop Highway. Lucas and I have done this many times. Lucas and his buddies had only the day before been on the same hike as the mother and daughter. Some person or persons for some unknown reason shot and killed the mother and daughter right on the trail. These two people had not an enemy in the world and were well known for their kindness and love for others. They left behind a devastated husband of 30 years and two other daughters. It was completely senseless and so far it has been unsolved.
The murders turned Seattle inside out. For the unchurched Seattleites, this was like someone walking into a church and randomly killing two people while they were praying---unthinkable. Ron Judd, one of my favorite Seattle newspaper writers, said this:
It's the temple of old growth, the church of ocean beaches, the hallowed neutral ground of clean air, blessed silence and sweeping views. It's the realm into which a lot of us slip on evenings, weekends and those treasured vacation days, just to get back in touch with what matters.
It's a psychological protective bubble, and last week's slayings revealed it to be exactly that: as solid as a single layer of soap film.
The shooting deaths of Cooper, 56, and Stodden, 27, rocked a lot of individual worlds last week....
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ronjudd/2003138017_nwwtrailmix20.html
My son, a few days after this happened, drove back from Calgary where he picked up two of his friends from Europe, Natalie and Nadira. The two English girls wanted to see America and Lucas wanted to take them hiking, of course. It infuriates me that we had to be concerned about where he took them hiking for fear of some crazed lunatic. I apologized to the girls and explained that this sort of thing doesn't happen in Seattle and really there is very little crime here. Lucas settled on a trail and the day was one of those glorious days you could see forever. The girls loved it.
And as a side issue---my children have the most wonderful friends---both of them. I believe it is a reflection of the kind of people my children have turned out to be. Lucas had a barbeque on our deck in honor of his English friends. He had high school friends and college friends here to meet them. Lucas loved it when he had all three groups of his buds in one place---Montana kids, Mukilteo kids and London kids. All of them are so similar and everyone of them is bright and funny with fabulous goals in life. Natalie and Nadira liked all of Lucas's friends and especially the two boys who took them all the way to Yellowstone Park while Lucas took a summer class in Missoula!
While Lucas was still in Missoula, Natalie and Nadira spent one more day with us in Mukilteo before catching a flight back to London on Friday, July 28th. Tragically, on Friday, a mentally ill Muslim man claiming he was angry at Israel forced his way into a Jewish charity organization in downtown Seattle and opened fire. A 58 year old woman was killed and five other women including a pregnant woman were injured. In a couple of weeks time, I am listening to another young woman crying on television about the senselessness of her Mom's murder. Again, I explain to Natalie and Nadira that this sort of hate crime is rare in Seattle.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003164338_naveedhaq31m.html
Kaley and I took Nadira and Natalie on a ferry ride to Whidbey Island. We had a peaceful lunch in Langley and had a good time talking about Lucas. They call him the "chatterbox" and wanted to know all about his past girlfriends. (Natlaie and Nadira seem to be spoken for as we had English boyfriends calling our house at 7 AM some mornings to check up on them.) Kaley and I were happy to oblige. I explained that I think Lucas had a crush on yet another English girl named Susie. They agreed with the possibility and we all giggled about our Lucas. I paid for our lunches with my replaced credit card and emphasized yet again that even though my purse was stolen, we have very little crime in Mukilteo.
I hope they believed me and I hope and pray that this deadly Seattle summer never ever repeats itself. Fifty something Moms like me with terrific children should not have to worry about being murdered in Seattle.
Natalie and Nadira in Langley, Whidbey Island
One of the reasons I started this blog was to gush about Seattle and its environs. Everybody knows I love living here and I cannot understand why anyone would move away once they had experienced the Puget Sound area--the smell, the feel, the coolness when the rest of the country is burning up. High today will be sunshine and 68 degrees.
But this summer we have had some horrible horrible things happen here. Nice, polite, prissy, intellectual Seattle has been slapped in the face with unspeakable violence. On July 11, a 56 year old Mom and her 27 year old daughter went for a day hike off the Mountain Loop Highway. Lucas and I have done this many times. Lucas and his buddies had only the day before been on the same hike as the mother and daughter. Some person or persons for some unknown reason shot and killed the mother and daughter right on the trail. These two people had not an enemy in the world and were well known for their kindness and love for others. They left behind a devastated husband of 30 years and two other daughters. It was completely senseless and so far it has been unsolved.
The murders turned Seattle inside out. For the unchurched Seattleites, this was like someone walking into a church and randomly killing two people while they were praying---unthinkable. Ron Judd, one of my favorite Seattle newspaper writers, said this:
It's the temple of old growth, the church of ocean beaches, the hallowed neutral ground of clean air, blessed silence and sweeping views. It's the realm into which a lot of us slip on evenings, weekends and those treasured vacation days, just to get back in touch with what matters.
It's a psychological protective bubble, and last week's slayings revealed it to be exactly that: as solid as a single layer of soap film.
The shooting deaths of Cooper, 56, and Stodden, 27, rocked a lot of individual worlds last week....
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ronjudd/2003138017_nwwtrailmix20.html
My son, a few days after this happened, drove back from Calgary where he picked up two of his friends from Europe, Natalie and Nadira. The two English girls wanted to see America and Lucas wanted to take them hiking, of course. It infuriates me that we had to be concerned about where he took them hiking for fear of some crazed lunatic. I apologized to the girls and explained that this sort of thing doesn't happen in Seattle and really there is very little crime here. Lucas settled on a trail and the day was one of those glorious days you could see forever. The girls loved it.
And as a side issue---my children have the most wonderful friends---both of them. I believe it is a reflection of the kind of people my children have turned out to be. Lucas had a barbeque on our deck in honor of his English friends. He had high school friends and college friends here to meet them. Lucas loved it when he had all three groups of his buds in one place---Montana kids, Mukilteo kids and London kids. All of them are so similar and everyone of them is bright and funny with fabulous goals in life. Natalie and Nadira liked all of Lucas's friends and especially the two boys who took them all the way to Yellowstone Park while Lucas took a summer class in Missoula!
While Lucas was still in Missoula, Natalie and Nadira spent one more day with us in Mukilteo before catching a flight back to London on Friday, July 28th. Tragically, on Friday, a mentally ill Muslim man claiming he was angry at Israel forced his way into a Jewish charity organization in downtown Seattle and opened fire. A 58 year old woman was killed and five other women including a pregnant woman were injured. In a couple of weeks time, I am listening to another young woman crying on television about the senselessness of her Mom's murder. Again, I explain to Natalie and Nadira that this sort of hate crime is rare in Seattle.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003164338_naveedhaq31m.html
Kaley and I took Nadira and Natalie on a ferry ride to Whidbey Island. We had a peaceful lunch in Langley and had a good time talking about Lucas. They call him the "chatterbox" and wanted to know all about his past girlfriends. (Natlaie and Nadira seem to be spoken for as we had English boyfriends calling our house at 7 AM some mornings to check up on them.) Kaley and I were happy to oblige. I explained that I think Lucas had a crush on yet another English girl named Susie. They agreed with the possibility and we all giggled about our Lucas. I paid for our lunches with my replaced credit card and emphasized yet again that even though my purse was stolen, we have very little crime in Mukilteo.
I hope they believed me and I hope and pray that this deadly Seattle summer never ever repeats itself. Fifty something Moms like me with terrific children should not have to worry about being murdered in Seattle.
Natalie and Nadira in Langley, Whidbey Island
// posted by Janet @ 9:14 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Stupid Stupid Stupid
I know some of my neighbors read this blog. So do not do what I did. We have lived in Mukilteo for 17 years and have felt safe here. But please do not do something really stupid like hanging a big sign in front of your house that says "Come and Look for What You Can Steal...And Help Yourself!"
Essentially this is what we did on Monday evening July 24. I went out in the garage to my car at 10 AM to leave to meet with some of my friends from church to plan our participation in the Mukilteo Festival Parade. Lo and behold, my purse was not in the car where I left it. My purse was not in our UNlocked car where I left it. My purse was not in my UNlocked car in our OPEN garage where I left it.
We have been having a heat wave and nobody around here has air conditioning. We have been leaving our garage door open until late for coolness. Our bedroom is right above the garage. Usually, we close the garage door when we go to bed but on Monday night we did not. I know I shouldn't leave my purse in the car but when the car is in a locked garage, I figure it is just as safe as in the locked house.
Imagine what you have in your purse or wallet and you can guess what I was doing yesterday instead of planning for a parade. Lucas, if you read this while you are in Missoula, do not use the credit card to buy gas---it will not work now. I dashed into Starbuck's to tell my friends what I was doing and why I couldn't meet with them. My friend, Sue, told me she had received an e-mail from someone else in the neighborhood who also was burglarized in the night up on 64th and another on 62nd. Somebody was very busy in the night of July 24. The person on 62nd had left her car unlocked and the thieves used the garage door opener to open the garage and take their bikes. They did not hear a thing because they had fans going.
The crimes were so easily preventable. Mukilteo has very little crime so we have become complacent and careless. The police were questioning me about my purse and asked me what "kind" it was. I realize now, they were trying to up the value. In response, I described my purse as big and white. "No, what brand? Coach?"
I guess because of my address, he was assuming maybe we were talking about a $400 or $500 designer purse. "Ah, no. How about a $20 Target special?" I am not really into purses. That purse ain't gonna show up on ebay--that's for sure.
I just hope the robbers get good use of the tampons and the pepto-bismol left from my "out of my comfort zone" moments on our trip. And oh yes, the church bulletin from Sunday was tucked in there. Father Peter's sermon was especially moving about the devastation in the Middle East and I took notes. He had some memorable lines. The church phone number and address were listed clearly. Maybe the person or persons who took my purse will join us on Sunday.
That would be cool!
I know some of my neighbors read this blog. So do not do what I did. We have lived in Mukilteo for 17 years and have felt safe here. But please do not do something really stupid like hanging a big sign in front of your house that says "Come and Look for What You Can Steal...And Help Yourself!"
Essentially this is what we did on Monday evening July 24. I went out in the garage to my car at 10 AM to leave to meet with some of my friends from church to plan our participation in the Mukilteo Festival Parade. Lo and behold, my purse was not in the car where I left it. My purse was not in our UNlocked car where I left it. My purse was not in my UNlocked car in our OPEN garage where I left it.
We have been having a heat wave and nobody around here has air conditioning. We have been leaving our garage door open until late for coolness. Our bedroom is right above the garage. Usually, we close the garage door when we go to bed but on Monday night we did not. I know I shouldn't leave my purse in the car but when the car is in a locked garage, I figure it is just as safe as in the locked house.
Imagine what you have in your purse or wallet and you can guess what I was doing yesterday instead of planning for a parade. Lucas, if you read this while you are in Missoula, do not use the credit card to buy gas---it will not work now. I dashed into Starbuck's to tell my friends what I was doing and why I couldn't meet with them. My friend, Sue, told me she had received an e-mail from someone else in the neighborhood who also was burglarized in the night up on 64th and another on 62nd. Somebody was very busy in the night of July 24. The person on 62nd had left her car unlocked and the thieves used the garage door opener to open the garage and take their bikes. They did not hear a thing because they had fans going.
The crimes were so easily preventable. Mukilteo has very little crime so we have become complacent and careless. The police were questioning me about my purse and asked me what "kind" it was. I realize now, they were trying to up the value. In response, I described my purse as big and white. "No, what brand? Coach?"
I guess because of my address, he was assuming maybe we were talking about a $400 or $500 designer purse. "Ah, no. How about a $20 Target special?" I am not really into purses. That purse ain't gonna show up on ebay--that's for sure.
I just hope the robbers get good use of the tampons and the pepto-bismol left from my "out of my comfort zone" moments on our trip. And oh yes, the church bulletin from Sunday was tucked in there. Father Peter's sermon was especially moving about the devastation in the Middle East and I took notes. He had some memorable lines. The church phone number and address were listed clearly. Maybe the person or persons who took my purse will join us on Sunday.
That would be cool!
// posted by Janet @ 10:19 AM
0 comments
Monday, July 24, 2006
Melting Pot
This post may get me in hot water and I apologize for making broad sweeping statements based only on my gut feelings. My observations are far from scientific. But, I believe Europe has under the surface racism that is worse than the United States. The recent wars have been ethnic based. Slovenia broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991. According to Rick Steves, it was a simple break because 90% of Slovenia is ethnic Slovene. I have no idea what ethnic Slovene means because virtually everybody in Slovenia looked like Aunt Mabel and Uncle Lou from Iowa.
Likewise, in Hungary, 90% of the population is ethnic Hungarian or Magyar. We know the Nazis wiped out the Jewish population almost completely. So the typical Hungarian to us looks like Aunt Verna or Uncle Herman from Ohio. The people in these countries are proud of their ethnic heritage but it also seems to me that they enjoy their ethnic homogeneity. To me, this crosses the line into intolerance and even hatred. Exhibit number one is the bloody war in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovena in the 1990's where Serbs, Croats and Muslims attempted to get rid of each other because of close living quarters. It is too complicated for me to understand or explain. Basically, the different ethnic groups do not like one another and they do not want to live with one another. It would be like Uncle Lou wanting to kill Uncle Herman and burn his house down even though both Aunt Mabel and Aunt Verna make povatica. I don't get it.
So why is all of this of any interest to me? Because of my children. My husband's family has some mysterious bloodlines. Supposedly, they are of English and German ancestory but the black hair, dark eyes, large noses, and dark skin clearly come from someplace else. My husband doesn't look this way though he has olive toned skin that darkens in the sun but his sister could be Greek or Italian or Israeli. My daughter looks like her Mediterranean-looking Aunt and cousins. Dave's Mom always said the dark skin was from the German blood.
Our theory is that the mysterious bloodline may actually be Roma. Many of these people, in order to escape oppression and persecution, immigrated to America where they became known as Black Deutsch (or German). Some of them settled in Pennsylvania. We know the German side of Dave's family originally settled in Pennsylvania so the big leap we are making is that maybe they were Gypsy or the more PC term, Roma. It seems to explain everything. In Hungary and Slovenia, where 10% of the people are not ethnic Slovene or Magyar, they are in large part, Roma.
Who are the Gypsies?? They are not liked much nor have they ever been. This is why some of them managed to come to America in earlier years and they would pass themselves off as other more "acceptable" immigrants like Germans or Italians. A half million of them were murdered by the Nazis in the concentration camps along with the Jews. These days they are a minority in Hungary and Slovakia and you see them in tourist hot spots all over Europe. As a matter of fact, I was robbed by a Gypsy mother half my size and her children in Rome many years ago. I thought they were after puppets I'd purchased for my children. I assumed I had successfully fended them off only to find a couple of hours later, they'd managed to steal the equivalent of $50 from my fanny pack. It was not a pleasant experience but I felt then and now that the woman in rags holding the baby needed that $50 more than I did.
The Gypsies are the "forgotten" population according to Rick Steves. (pp. 136-173 in "Best of Eastern Europe 2005) They originated in India and arrived in Europe through Turkey in the 1300's. The language they speak is derived from Indian dialects and typically, they have dark skin and hair. They are largely unemployed, extremely poor, and they do resort to stealing for survival. Rick Steves points out that while 3% of Hungary's population is Roma, two-thirds of the prison inmates are Gypsies. They tend to me nomadic, independent, and musical. Dave's sister, who cannot settle in one place or stay put for more than a couple of weeks is certain she has Gypsy blood. I look at my nomadic son and musical Greek-looking daughter and wonder.....?!
Sadly, it is completely acceptable to discriminate against the Roma and to publicly hate them. The different ethnic groups that hate one another all hate the Gypsies. Kaley was disturbed by this in Slovenia thinking that the Roma may be her people. One night at dinner at one of the sidewalk cafes in Ljubljana, Kaley stated she was certain that her ethnically diverse group of friends from Mukilteo may not be welcome in lily white Slovenia. She might be right. Sure, there were Japanese tourist groups but you see them all over the entire world. Very few darker skinned people were anywhere. Lucas chimed in that the World Cup announcers in Europe were horribly racist when talking about different teams. I was shocked to see racist images on African coffee packages in the grocery store in France, Hungary, and Slovenia. And in Vienna near the big ferris wheel, we saw "North American Indian" performers doing war dances with feathered bonnets. It was horrifying because the individuals probably came from South America and they were decorated with a hodge podge of pseudo-Indian costumes and "war" paint. It was a terribly racist spectacle---right there in Austria.
So what is going on? European countries have thus far managed to stay ethnically homogenous. But now that many Middle Eastern and African immigrants have moved into France and England, there have been problems with assimilation. Outright ethnic hatred is boiling just beneath the surface of much of white Europe and it erupts every few years into riots and full blown wars. Exhibit number two--the riots in France shortly before Christmas. I think Europe has a bigger resistance to a mixed up population than we do. Of course, we have issues---we tried genocide to wipe out our North American Indians and we condoned and participated in the horrors of slavery and some idiots think we should build a wall on our southern border.
But, the next time you visit an American mall, just look at people. Really really look at them. People are short, tall, curly haired, blonde, dark haired, brown eyes, blue eyes and skin of virtually every tone of beige and brown. We all have unbelievable ethnic mixes--African, Indian, Italian, German, Irish, Mexican, Peruviian, Swedish, Norwegian, English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Philipino, Serbian, and maybe even Gypsy!
Hungary is not like this nor is Slovenia. The United States is not perfect but truly we are one gigantic melting pot. Uncle Herman and Uncle Lou may act like they still want to kill each other---but it is probably over a football game.
This post may get me in hot water and I apologize for making broad sweeping statements based only on my gut feelings. My observations are far from scientific. But, I believe Europe has under the surface racism that is worse than the United States. The recent wars have been ethnic based. Slovenia broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991. According to Rick Steves, it was a simple break because 90% of Slovenia is ethnic Slovene. I have no idea what ethnic Slovene means because virtually everybody in Slovenia looked like Aunt Mabel and Uncle Lou from Iowa.
Likewise, in Hungary, 90% of the population is ethnic Hungarian or Magyar. We know the Nazis wiped out the Jewish population almost completely. So the typical Hungarian to us looks like Aunt Verna or Uncle Herman from Ohio. The people in these countries are proud of their ethnic heritage but it also seems to me that they enjoy their ethnic homogeneity. To me, this crosses the line into intolerance and even hatred. Exhibit number one is the bloody war in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovena in the 1990's where Serbs, Croats and Muslims attempted to get rid of each other because of close living quarters. It is too complicated for me to understand or explain. Basically, the different ethnic groups do not like one another and they do not want to live with one another. It would be like Uncle Lou wanting to kill Uncle Herman and burn his house down even though both Aunt Mabel and Aunt Verna make povatica. I don't get it.
So why is all of this of any interest to me? Because of my children. My husband's family has some mysterious bloodlines. Supposedly, they are of English and German ancestory but the black hair, dark eyes, large noses, and dark skin clearly come from someplace else. My husband doesn't look this way though he has olive toned skin that darkens in the sun but his sister could be Greek or Italian or Israeli. My daughter looks like her Mediterranean-looking Aunt and cousins. Dave's Mom always said the dark skin was from the German blood.
Our theory is that the mysterious bloodline may actually be Roma. Many of these people, in order to escape oppression and persecution, immigrated to America where they became known as Black Deutsch (or German). Some of them settled in Pennsylvania. We know the German side of Dave's family originally settled in Pennsylvania so the big leap we are making is that maybe they were Gypsy or the more PC term, Roma. It seems to explain everything. In Hungary and Slovenia, where 10% of the people are not ethnic Slovene or Magyar, they are in large part, Roma.
Who are the Gypsies?? They are not liked much nor have they ever been. This is why some of them managed to come to America in earlier years and they would pass themselves off as other more "acceptable" immigrants like Germans or Italians. A half million of them were murdered by the Nazis in the concentration camps along with the Jews. These days they are a minority in Hungary and Slovakia and you see them in tourist hot spots all over Europe. As a matter of fact, I was robbed by a Gypsy mother half my size and her children in Rome many years ago. I thought they were after puppets I'd purchased for my children. I assumed I had successfully fended them off only to find a couple of hours later, they'd managed to steal the equivalent of $50 from my fanny pack. It was not a pleasant experience but I felt then and now that the woman in rags holding the baby needed that $50 more than I did.
The Gypsies are the "forgotten" population according to Rick Steves. (pp. 136-173 in "Best of Eastern Europe 2005) They originated in India and arrived in Europe through Turkey in the 1300's. The language they speak is derived from Indian dialects and typically, they have dark skin and hair. They are largely unemployed, extremely poor, and they do resort to stealing for survival. Rick Steves points out that while 3% of Hungary's population is Roma, two-thirds of the prison inmates are Gypsies. They tend to me nomadic, independent, and musical. Dave's sister, who cannot settle in one place or stay put for more than a couple of weeks is certain she has Gypsy blood. I look at my nomadic son and musical Greek-looking daughter and wonder.....?!
Sadly, it is completely acceptable to discriminate against the Roma and to publicly hate them. The different ethnic groups that hate one another all hate the Gypsies. Kaley was disturbed by this in Slovenia thinking that the Roma may be her people. One night at dinner at one of the sidewalk cafes in Ljubljana, Kaley stated she was certain that her ethnically diverse group of friends from Mukilteo may not be welcome in lily white Slovenia. She might be right. Sure, there were Japanese tourist groups but you see them all over the entire world. Very few darker skinned people were anywhere. Lucas chimed in that the World Cup announcers in Europe were horribly racist when talking about different teams. I was shocked to see racist images on African coffee packages in the grocery store in France, Hungary, and Slovenia. And in Vienna near the big ferris wheel, we saw "North American Indian" performers doing war dances with feathered bonnets. It was horrifying because the individuals probably came from South America and they were decorated with a hodge podge of pseudo-Indian costumes and "war" paint. It was a terribly racist spectacle---right there in Austria.
So what is going on? European countries have thus far managed to stay ethnically homogenous. But now that many Middle Eastern and African immigrants have moved into France and England, there have been problems with assimilation. Outright ethnic hatred is boiling just beneath the surface of much of white Europe and it erupts every few years into riots and full blown wars. Exhibit number two--the riots in France shortly before Christmas. I think Europe has a bigger resistance to a mixed up population than we do. Of course, we have issues---we tried genocide to wipe out our North American Indians and we condoned and participated in the horrors of slavery and some idiots think we should build a wall on our southern border.
But, the next time you visit an American mall, just look at people. Really really look at them. People are short, tall, curly haired, blonde, dark haired, brown eyes, blue eyes and skin of virtually every tone of beige and brown. We all have unbelievable ethnic mixes--African, Indian, Italian, German, Irish, Mexican, Peruviian, Swedish, Norwegian, English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Philipino, Serbian, and maybe even Gypsy!
Hungary is not like this nor is Slovenia. The United States is not perfect but truly we are one gigantic melting pot. Uncle Herman and Uncle Lou may act like they still want to kill each other---but it is probably over a football game.
// posted by Janet @ 8:10 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Five Things I Love About Europe and Five Things I Dislike!
Dislikes
1. Pay toilets. I really really hate this. First of all, the coffee in Europe is strong and when we make our own we make it strong. What this means is that when we go on an outing, Kaley and I need to find WC's fairly often. In Europe, pay toilets are everywhere--in train stations, in remote areas, and at ferry docks on Lake Balaton. Frankly, I think the U.N. should make a universal law that pay toilets are illegal and barbaric.
The worst was when we were at the caves in Slovenia. The tour into the caves was 90 minutes so Kaley and I decided to use the facilities first. A Slovenian woman who spoke no English was sitting guard. I did not have the right change for the two of us so back up these stairs in the heat and about a block away, I find Dave and Lucas. Slovenia, though a member of the EU has not yet adopted the Euro and their money is challenging. He gives me some change so back I go and at this point a line has formed. Evidently, I gave the toilet guard way too much for two people. She was having a difficult time making change with the huge line of ladies waiting and dancing to get in. All of them were looking at me with disgust. The toilet guard was scrupulously honest and kind so she sent Kaley and me in and motioned she would give change on our way out--which she did. Humiliating! You are not supposed to do anything but pay the exact amount so we stood out committing a cultural faux pas just because we had to pee!
2. Fees for a waterfall. As I stated down below, Slovenia was beautiful and reminded me of Western Montana. Rick Steves recommended a little hike to this waterfall. But sure enough, a little way up the trail was a ticket booth. We were all completely disturbed. The waterfall wasn't that great to us. We live next to the "Cascade" Mountains so named because of cascades of water you can see from I-90 or Highway 2. Moreover, the pool at the bottom was bricked up and it looked fakey. It is possible the Romans did it in which case, it was totally cool.
Slovenian Waterfall
3. Outlets. I wish the U.N. would make a universal law that outlets all over the world should be the same. Those adapter things don't work. We lived without hair dryers and curling irons but it would have been nice to have fixed my hair properly at least once. And I urge everyone to NOT try to use a fan as a blow dryer---especially if you have longer hair. It was not my son, nor my daughter, nor my bald husband who tried this stunt, I am ashamed to say.
4. Washcloths. The Europeans do not use washcloths. In Venice, I used the hand towel because I was saving the few I'd brought for our cottage stays. I guess they just wash all of their body parts, including their faces with bare hands??!!
5. Communist Toilet Paper. To be honest, this is probably the most environment friendly stuff there is. It is rough, gray and minimally processed so that you can see specks of whatever paper it used to be before recycling. But, please, it is horrible and completely non-absorbant---kinda like using sandpaper. I have used leaves in the forest that worked better. At least, the Hungarian grocery store had an alternative but not the pay toilets.
Loves
1. Outdoor cafes. This is the most wonderful and charming thing about all of Europe. The only time we ate inside was in Croatia where it was 110 degrees. The restaurants and cafes are streetside, canal side, riverside or overlooking a lake. You can sit and order coffee or a glass of wine and some bread and sit there for as long as you want. It is so civilized and pleasant. In America, you might be expected to order a meal and in any event, the waiter tends to rush you so the table can be turned over to another customer.
2. Ease of Communication. True, it is frustrating when people do not speak English and you do not speak a word of, say, Hungarian. But in general, Europeans are used to multiple languages and they have embraced it. It is highly unusual for Europeans to speak only one language. In our country, we seem to get in a snit that many of our newer residents speak Spanish. So what?? Let's embrace them and learn their language. They are not going away. Believe me, I now know how it feels to not be understood.
3. Trying new foods. I had read that in Slovenia, they eat horse meat. I was terrified of ordering it by mistake and we did see it on a menu in Ljubljana.
They served foal here though I ordered lamb--I hope!
Also, I was doing everything I could to keep from eating carp in Hungary. But, we tried "burek" in Slovenia which is hard to explain but it is kind of like a calzone but the dough is the dough they use in baklava. Also, potica is just a normal bread/pastry in Slovenia. I spend oodles of money ordering povatica (the same) at Christmas time out of a food catalog. We always had it when I was a kid at Christmas because one of my Dad's fellow teachers and fishing buddy was Serbian and they gave us some every year. But in Eastern Europe it is everywhere.
"Palascinta" were like crepes and every food stand had them in Hungary. Also, I ordered this delicious gigantic deep fried thing that had a bit of cheeze sprinkled on it. I can't remember the name but I do believe eating one of these per lifetime is enough.
4. Ancient ruins. I love visiting medieval castles and trying to imagine the difficult lives that existed there. Keeping warm, bathing, raising children without fear that half of them will die in childhood are all things we take for granted. Everywhere we go, I continue to marvel at the Romans and the expanse of their empire and their basic plumbing that rivals ours.
Inside Pedjama Castle
5. Grocery Stores. You absolutely get a feel for local culture by visiting a market or grocery store. It is so much fun! You see what people eat and buy and what they value. Definitely, they love all sorts of peppers and tomatoes in Eastern Europe. In Hungary, I was amazed at the shelves of pickles. Not only were there regular pickles of every sort you can possibly imagine but they pickle every sort of vegetable, too, whether it be corn or peppers or sauerkraut. This is why we try to avoid hotels and stay in apartments or cottages with kitchens whenever we travel. Not only is it less expensive for four people but then you can actually buy wonderful things and fix interesting meals.
Market in Ljubljana
Dislikes
1. Pay toilets. I really really hate this. First of all, the coffee in Europe is strong and when we make our own we make it strong. What this means is that when we go on an outing, Kaley and I need to find WC's fairly often. In Europe, pay toilets are everywhere--in train stations, in remote areas, and at ferry docks on Lake Balaton. Frankly, I think the U.N. should make a universal law that pay toilets are illegal and barbaric.
The worst was when we were at the caves in Slovenia. The tour into the caves was 90 minutes so Kaley and I decided to use the facilities first. A Slovenian woman who spoke no English was sitting guard. I did not have the right change for the two of us so back up these stairs in the heat and about a block away, I find Dave and Lucas. Slovenia, though a member of the EU has not yet adopted the Euro and their money is challenging. He gives me some change so back I go and at this point a line has formed. Evidently, I gave the toilet guard way too much for two people. She was having a difficult time making change with the huge line of ladies waiting and dancing to get in. All of them were looking at me with disgust. The toilet guard was scrupulously honest and kind so she sent Kaley and me in and motioned she would give change on our way out--which she did. Humiliating! You are not supposed to do anything but pay the exact amount so we stood out committing a cultural faux pas just because we had to pee!
2. Fees for a waterfall. As I stated down below, Slovenia was beautiful and reminded me of Western Montana. Rick Steves recommended a little hike to this waterfall. But sure enough, a little way up the trail was a ticket booth. We were all completely disturbed. The waterfall wasn't that great to us. We live next to the "Cascade" Mountains so named because of cascades of water you can see from I-90 or Highway 2. Moreover, the pool at the bottom was bricked up and it looked fakey. It is possible the Romans did it in which case, it was totally cool.
Slovenian Waterfall
3. Outlets. I wish the U.N. would make a universal law that outlets all over the world should be the same. Those adapter things don't work. We lived without hair dryers and curling irons but it would have been nice to have fixed my hair properly at least once. And I urge everyone to NOT try to use a fan as a blow dryer---especially if you have longer hair. It was not my son, nor my daughter, nor my bald husband who tried this stunt, I am ashamed to say.
4. Washcloths. The Europeans do not use washcloths. In Venice, I used the hand towel because I was saving the few I'd brought for our cottage stays. I guess they just wash all of their body parts, including their faces with bare hands??!!
5. Communist Toilet Paper. To be honest, this is probably the most environment friendly stuff there is. It is rough, gray and minimally processed so that you can see specks of whatever paper it used to be before recycling. But, please, it is horrible and completely non-absorbant---kinda like using sandpaper. I have used leaves in the forest that worked better. At least, the Hungarian grocery store had an alternative but not the pay toilets.
Loves
1. Outdoor cafes. This is the most wonderful and charming thing about all of Europe. The only time we ate inside was in Croatia where it was 110 degrees. The restaurants and cafes are streetside, canal side, riverside or overlooking a lake. You can sit and order coffee or a glass of wine and some bread and sit there for as long as you want. It is so civilized and pleasant. In America, you might be expected to order a meal and in any event, the waiter tends to rush you so the table can be turned over to another customer.
2. Ease of Communication. True, it is frustrating when people do not speak English and you do not speak a word of, say, Hungarian. But in general, Europeans are used to multiple languages and they have embraced it. It is highly unusual for Europeans to speak only one language. In our country, we seem to get in a snit that many of our newer residents speak Spanish. So what?? Let's embrace them and learn their language. They are not going away. Believe me, I now know how it feels to not be understood.
3. Trying new foods. I had read that in Slovenia, they eat horse meat. I was terrified of ordering it by mistake and we did see it on a menu in Ljubljana.
They served foal here though I ordered lamb--I hope!
Also, I was doing everything I could to keep from eating carp in Hungary. But, we tried "burek" in Slovenia which is hard to explain but it is kind of like a calzone but the dough is the dough they use in baklava. Also, potica is just a normal bread/pastry in Slovenia. I spend oodles of money ordering povatica (the same) at Christmas time out of a food catalog. We always had it when I was a kid at Christmas because one of my Dad's fellow teachers and fishing buddy was Serbian and they gave us some every year. But in Eastern Europe it is everywhere.
"Palascinta" were like crepes and every food stand had them in Hungary. Also, I ordered this delicious gigantic deep fried thing that had a bit of cheeze sprinkled on it. I can't remember the name but I do believe eating one of these per lifetime is enough.
4. Ancient ruins. I love visiting medieval castles and trying to imagine the difficult lives that existed there. Keeping warm, bathing, raising children without fear that half of them will die in childhood are all things we take for granted. Everywhere we go, I continue to marvel at the Romans and the expanse of their empire and their basic plumbing that rivals ours.
Inside Pedjama Castle
5. Grocery Stores. You absolutely get a feel for local culture by visiting a market or grocery store. It is so much fun! You see what people eat and buy and what they value. Definitely, they love all sorts of peppers and tomatoes in Eastern Europe. In Hungary, I was amazed at the shelves of pickles. Not only were there regular pickles of every sort you can possibly imagine but they pickle every sort of vegetable, too, whether it be corn or peppers or sauerkraut. This is why we try to avoid hotels and stay in apartments or cottages with kitchens whenever we travel. Not only is it less expensive for four people but then you can actually buy wonderful things and fix interesting meals.
Market in Ljubljana
// posted by Janet @ 8:13 AM
0 comments
Monday, July 17, 2006
Out of My Comfort Zone---Part 2
Actually, thinking back about it, our trip went amazingly well with no hitches at all. Even our very last morning, we hoped our Taxi driver would be at our Vienna hotel to pick us up at 4:30 AM. The charming man who took us to our hotel after we dropped the rental car off at the airport---the one who had given us an earful about Bush---promised he'd send somebody to pick us up two days later even though it would be terribly early. You just kinda have to have faith in these situations. Sure enough, our last morning as we sleepily and quietly hauled our luggage to the lobby, a nice man was there to help us with it all and to transport us to the airport. Getting up at 4 AM is way out of my comfort zone.
Back to Lake Balaton. I was comfortable there. The weather finally cooled off. We had our cute little cottage and we'd found a wonderful grocery store. The lake was lovely to swim in and there were plenty of sights to see in the villages all around the lake. It was pleasant but BudaPest was an hour and a half away by car and we had to take a day trip to see BudaPest. How could we not??
Our Village, Balatonszarszo train station and walking from the beach park.
Benedictine Abbey at Tehany, Lake Balaton
1. Day trip to BudaPest. I kept saying to my family that BudaPest is a huge European city with traffic and narrow streets. You do not just decide to drive to BudaPest any more than you would just drive into New York City. I have to admit my husband has driven a car in New York City, LA, Boston, London, Rome, Edinburgh, San Francisco, Seattle every day and usually without problems but still! You need to have a plan especially when Rick Steves says--do not take your car into BudaPest. The train from our village took too long so we decided to drive to a suburb of BudaPest and park at a train station and take the train to the heart of the city like we did in Venice. Naturally, as we are driving down the freeway (after we realized via Rick Steves we had been driving illegally requiring a detour into a gas station or two until someone finally sold us a freeway sticker) those plans went out the window. We had a map so Lucas and Dave decided we'd drive into BudaPest afterall.
"Breathe, just breathe!" I stated out loud to myself. "I am just along for the ride. Just get me to BudaPest. We had a plan but....how soon you two have forgotten about the Hungarian gas station where we tried to call Miklos before we arrived in Lake Balaton. Do you remember how no one spoke English and they sold us a phone card to make a call on a phone that only spoke Hungarian? And they laughed at us? Or the sticker you just tried to buy? They are not very helpful in Hungarian gas stations! What if we get lost?"
"Ah, no problem!" says my sometimes over-confident husband. "Lucas has the map." Like that solves every single variable that could arise. They had decided to drive right into BudaPest and park at one of the BudaPest train stations. Immediately, we got lost and pulled into a BudaPest gas station--where no one spoke English. I sat in the back seat of the car breathing with an "I told you so" look on my face.
My husband and my son were not about to let me be right so I have to hand it to them---they got us out of that gas station and within a few minutes, we were parked at a nice parking garage at a BudaPest train station within walking distance of Castle Hill. It was great. Mom was happy indeed and I congratulated them for not making me be out of my comfort zone for very long.
Castle Hill, BudaPest
Chain Bridge, BudaPest, and me with Rick Steves in hand!
2. Driving to Vienna. The last two days of our trip had arrived. We left our little cottage by the lake for the three and a half hour drive to Vienna, Austria. The plan was to drop off the car at the airport and of course, figuring out where and how to do this was my husband's assignment. You would think after 33 years of marriage, I would realize he doesn't worry about some of the same things I do and he has a tendency to be impulsive---I call it running around like a chicken with its head cut off. My family would tease me about my comfort zone but I dished right back about my husband and his chicken without a head times. Both of my kids are able writers and I sometimes cringe at the thought of books they may write some day--fiction or not--with details about eccentric parents. It would all be true.
My son wanted to take a detour for lunch in Bratislava, Slovakia. I wanted to get to Vienna and I was a little concerned about the car drop off. He wanted another pin in his map. After Croatia, I said no. "But Mom, Croatia turned out just fine. Are you afraid of leaving your comfort zone again?" he asserted in a mocking tone. "Besides, Rick Steves says it is a great place for a lunch stop."
"Give me that book. I do NOT believe that is what Rick Steves says. See, you took him out of context, Lucas. You conveniently forgot the parantheses," I remarked.
"If you are passing through anyway, and have time to kill, Bratislava just barely merits a sightseeing sprint. The city is worth only a few hours---making it a rewarding stretch-your-legs stopover going between...Budapest and Vienna. (Though frankly, I'd rather skip Bratislava altogether to spend more time in those other two capitals.)" Emphasis mine.
As soon as I read this outloud and reminded my family that Miklos explained to us about how Slovakians still hate the Hungarians and if you drive there from Hungary, your car can get smashed up, my hubby said we'd pass on Slovakia. Plus, I think he was wondering about his directions for the car drop off.
Where I had notebooks full of detailed directions and people to call on how to reach our accommodations, Dave had a skimpy mapquest map with a purple line that made a circle to the destination for car drop off. Here we go again! The exit we took dropped us into the middle of an industrial section of Vienna. Yes, there was a gas station. Hopefully, Lucas's French and German would help us in Austria. I still do not understand what Dave did but this was not the place to drop off the car and the gas station guy thought we were completely nuts and he spoke no common language with us. Why oh why do we think gas stations will be any help at all?
Lucas finally said to his father that this was not the airport nor near the airport and since Lucas had been to the Vienna airport before, he redirected his father back to the freeway and to the signs for the airport. Forget the stupid directions Dave had come up with. Certainly, the airport will have a place to leave this car. There may have been a Budget Rental Car business somewhere in that industrial district but luckily there was a place to return the rental car at the airport---once we figured out (after three or four times around the airport) the international picture sign for "rental car return".
So we made it to Vienna. Certainly, my comfort zone would not be challenged again. Oh wait. Yes. My husband jumped onto a tram in the middle of Vienna without the correct change for four tickets---and Austrian people stared at the American family trying to figure out what in the world they should do.
Hofburg Palace, Vienna.
Sacher Torte at the Sacher Cafe near the Opera, Vienna (recommended, of course, by Rick Steves)
Actually, thinking back about it, our trip went amazingly well with no hitches at all. Even our very last morning, we hoped our Taxi driver would be at our Vienna hotel to pick us up at 4:30 AM. The charming man who took us to our hotel after we dropped the rental car off at the airport---the one who had given us an earful about Bush---promised he'd send somebody to pick us up two days later even though it would be terribly early. You just kinda have to have faith in these situations. Sure enough, our last morning as we sleepily and quietly hauled our luggage to the lobby, a nice man was there to help us with it all and to transport us to the airport. Getting up at 4 AM is way out of my comfort zone.
Back to Lake Balaton. I was comfortable there. The weather finally cooled off. We had our cute little cottage and we'd found a wonderful grocery store. The lake was lovely to swim in and there were plenty of sights to see in the villages all around the lake. It was pleasant but BudaPest was an hour and a half away by car and we had to take a day trip to see BudaPest. How could we not??
Our Village, Balatonszarszo train station and walking from the beach park.
Benedictine Abbey at Tehany, Lake Balaton
1. Day trip to BudaPest. I kept saying to my family that BudaPest is a huge European city with traffic and narrow streets. You do not just decide to drive to BudaPest any more than you would just drive into New York City. I have to admit my husband has driven a car in New York City, LA, Boston, London, Rome, Edinburgh, San Francisco, Seattle every day and usually without problems but still! You need to have a plan especially when Rick Steves says--do not take your car into BudaPest. The train from our village took too long so we decided to drive to a suburb of BudaPest and park at a train station and take the train to the heart of the city like we did in Venice. Naturally, as we are driving down the freeway (after we realized via Rick Steves we had been driving illegally requiring a detour into a gas station or two until someone finally sold us a freeway sticker) those plans went out the window. We had a map so Lucas and Dave decided we'd drive into BudaPest afterall.
"Breathe, just breathe!" I stated out loud to myself. "I am just along for the ride. Just get me to BudaPest. We had a plan but....how soon you two have forgotten about the Hungarian gas station where we tried to call Miklos before we arrived in Lake Balaton. Do you remember how no one spoke English and they sold us a phone card to make a call on a phone that only spoke Hungarian? And they laughed at us? Or the sticker you just tried to buy? They are not very helpful in Hungarian gas stations! What if we get lost?"
"Ah, no problem!" says my sometimes over-confident husband. "Lucas has the map." Like that solves every single variable that could arise. They had decided to drive right into BudaPest and park at one of the BudaPest train stations. Immediately, we got lost and pulled into a BudaPest gas station--where no one spoke English. I sat in the back seat of the car breathing with an "I told you so" look on my face.
My husband and my son were not about to let me be right so I have to hand it to them---they got us out of that gas station and within a few minutes, we were parked at a nice parking garage at a BudaPest train station within walking distance of Castle Hill. It was great. Mom was happy indeed and I congratulated them for not making me be out of my comfort zone for very long.
Castle Hill, BudaPest
Chain Bridge, BudaPest, and me with Rick Steves in hand!
2. Driving to Vienna. The last two days of our trip had arrived. We left our little cottage by the lake for the three and a half hour drive to Vienna, Austria. The plan was to drop off the car at the airport and of course, figuring out where and how to do this was my husband's assignment. You would think after 33 years of marriage, I would realize he doesn't worry about some of the same things I do and he has a tendency to be impulsive---I call it running around like a chicken with its head cut off. My family would tease me about my comfort zone but I dished right back about my husband and his chicken without a head times. Both of my kids are able writers and I sometimes cringe at the thought of books they may write some day--fiction or not--with details about eccentric parents. It would all be true.
My son wanted to take a detour for lunch in Bratislava, Slovakia. I wanted to get to Vienna and I was a little concerned about the car drop off. He wanted another pin in his map. After Croatia, I said no. "But Mom, Croatia turned out just fine. Are you afraid of leaving your comfort zone again?" he asserted in a mocking tone. "Besides, Rick Steves says it is a great place for a lunch stop."
"Give me that book. I do NOT believe that is what Rick Steves says. See, you took him out of context, Lucas. You conveniently forgot the parantheses," I remarked.
"If you are passing through anyway, and have time to kill, Bratislava just barely merits a sightseeing sprint. The city is worth only a few hours---making it a rewarding stretch-your-legs stopover going between...Budapest and Vienna. (Though frankly, I'd rather skip Bratislava altogether to spend more time in those other two capitals.)" Emphasis mine.
As soon as I read this outloud and reminded my family that Miklos explained to us about how Slovakians still hate the Hungarians and if you drive there from Hungary, your car can get smashed up, my hubby said we'd pass on Slovakia. Plus, I think he was wondering about his directions for the car drop off.
Where I had notebooks full of detailed directions and people to call on how to reach our accommodations, Dave had a skimpy mapquest map with a purple line that made a circle to the destination for car drop off. Here we go again! The exit we took dropped us into the middle of an industrial section of Vienna. Yes, there was a gas station. Hopefully, Lucas's French and German would help us in Austria. I still do not understand what Dave did but this was not the place to drop off the car and the gas station guy thought we were completely nuts and he spoke no common language with us. Why oh why do we think gas stations will be any help at all?
Lucas finally said to his father that this was not the airport nor near the airport and since Lucas had been to the Vienna airport before, he redirected his father back to the freeway and to the signs for the airport. Forget the stupid directions Dave had come up with. Certainly, the airport will have a place to leave this car. There may have been a Budget Rental Car business somewhere in that industrial district but luckily there was a place to return the rental car at the airport---once we figured out (after three or four times around the airport) the international picture sign for "rental car return".
So we made it to Vienna. Certainly, my comfort zone would not be challenged again. Oh wait. Yes. My husband jumped onto a tram in the middle of Vienna without the correct change for four tickets---and Austrian people stared at the American family trying to figure out what in the world they should do.
Hofburg Palace, Vienna.
Sacher Torte at the Sacher Cafe near the Opera, Vienna (recommended, of course, by Rick Steves)
// posted by Janet @ 8:33 AM
0 comments
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Lake Balaton, Hungary
Lake Balaton is one of the strangest places I have ever been. Rick Steves in his "Best of Eastern Europe" does not even mention it. It is a huge natural fresh water lake that looks like Flathead Lake in Montana or Puget Sound. Of course, it is surrounded by small Hungarian villages. Each village has tacky tourist shops where they sell beach towels and water toys. And along the roadside, locals were selling these pots which I never quite understood. Either they were for making goulash or for a fish stew with carp, the main fish from the lake. I did not have enough English material to find out.
Hungarian pots along the road.
Update: I just found my answer to the pot question. Indeed, they are for cooking a spicy fish stew made from carp and paprika.
http://www.budapest.com/recipes/foods-dishes.htm
"Carp, found in many varieties, is also popular. Hungarian Fish paprikas (halaszle), is a soup favored by most natives, with large chunks of fish in a semi-hot (spicy) soup. Well worth trying in a restaurant, to indulge in real local cooking. Sometimes prepared in a very nostalgic "nomad" way, in a large kiln pot, hung on a tripod over an open fire."
First of all, nobody but nobody speaks English. Secondly, no Americans ever go to Lake Balaton. And third, Hungarians are not terribly friendly and they culturally do not seem to smile. Sometimes they were extremely unhelpful to the point of being rude. Finally, the Hungarian language is not related to nor derived from any other language on earth. Somehow it came into being in an isolated fashion and survived. Lucas, being a linguistics major, loves this sort of thing. The problem it gave us was that we could not figure out what anything meant when it came to signs or menus. At least French, Italian, Spanish and German have enough similarity to English that you can figure out a menu or a label at the grocery store or what someone may have said!
The economy was difficult to figure out as well. Slovenia, on the other hand, is going gangbusters. They are the richest new nation to join the European Union. Construction of new homes and upscale shops were all over the place in Ljubljana. Lake Balaton had dingy communist era buildings but interspersed would be these new or newly refurbished vacation cottages and homes. Miklos, our host for the cottage we rented and the only person we met who spoke English, explained that in the 1990's Lake Balaton was a hopping place. When the Berlin wall and the Iron Curtain existed, Hungary, though communist, was the only place German families from both sides could meet.
West and East Germans were equally allowed to travel here. Folks lined up to rent "dog houses" and "wine cellars" for vacation, he said. Today, the economy is beginning to rebound but still all of the tourists are German. He wondered why in the world we were there. Miklos, handsome and not even 30, was quite the entrepreneur. He was developing properties around the lake and seemed interested in our opinion on ways to attract Americans. He actually has a friend in Seattle and said his dream was to watch the Seattle Super Sonics and eat popcorn. I am certain one day he will.
Since we were there during World Cup and in June, there were actually very few tourists, who would be German, at Lake Balaton. In fact, they seemed to be gearing up for the tourist onslaught in July. I think the Hungarians have a love/hate relationship with the Germans based on history---the do not like Germans but they like their tourist money. I believe people assumed we were German and probably could not even tell from our speech. Always, German was spoken to us. Regardless of the cold shoulders everywhere, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this odd place.
Lake Balaton--beach
Public beach parks were everywhere and they were spotless. Typically, the park was grassy with trees and the beach had a cement wall with steps into the water. The lake was shallow and warm with a muddy sandy bottom that felt wonderful on hot tired feet. Very very pleasant--we swam every day. Hungarians, due to their rich fatty food, don't look so great in bathing suits so we felt just fine in ours. We learned quickly from a large Hungarian woman in her underwear and with half of her teeth that the metal rusty chairs in the beach parks are not to be used unless you pay some mystery person some money. At least I think that is what she meant---we were not going to argue, that's for sure, so we gave her the chair.
Our vacation cottage.
Our cottage was brand new and unlike many places in Europe, it had two bathrooms. We had three bedrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, and a Weber bar-b-q to cook outside. Also notice the satellite dish so we could keep track of the World Cup. All of this and we spent about $70 per night for the four of us to stay here. It was really hot the first day but with the skylights, doors and windows and our fans, we were able to keep it cool enough to sleep.
Paprika Hut covered in red peppers.
Paprika is everywhere in Hungary. The best sweet peppers and tomatoes grow in this area. The grocery store had these fabulous yellow green peppers that I have never seen in America. We grilled them and they were just yummy. I tried goulash but it was a little rich for me. But I did buy paprika potato chips. Mmmmmmm!
Our last evening in Lake Balaton
We found this nice restaurant and they actually had English translations of their menu. Our friendly waiter did not speak English but with pointing and a little German that Lucas had picked up like a sponge, we managed just fine. The dish on the table was a fish sampler with trout, perch, and zander. No carp. We were petrified of ordering carp by mistake. It is a garbage fish in Montana and there was no way we would try it. I was even leery of ordering trout so I had goose leg (in front in the photo) and it was delicious. This meal was extremely inexpensive compared to a similar meal in Seattle. It was a joyous and enjoyable dinner.
All in all, Hungary was a great bargain and a fun place to experience. It was nothing like anyplace else!
Lake Balaton is one of the strangest places I have ever been. Rick Steves in his "Best of Eastern Europe" does not even mention it. It is a huge natural fresh water lake that looks like Flathead Lake in Montana or Puget Sound. Of course, it is surrounded by small Hungarian villages. Each village has tacky tourist shops where they sell beach towels and water toys. And along the roadside, locals were selling these pots which I never quite understood. Either they were for making goulash or for a fish stew with carp, the main fish from the lake. I did not have enough English material to find out.
Hungarian pots along the road.
Update: I just found my answer to the pot question. Indeed, they are for cooking a spicy fish stew made from carp and paprika.
http://www.budapest.com/recipes/foods-dishes.htm
"Carp, found in many varieties, is also popular. Hungarian Fish paprikas (halaszle), is a soup favored by most natives, with large chunks of fish in a semi-hot (spicy) soup. Well worth trying in a restaurant, to indulge in real local cooking. Sometimes prepared in a very nostalgic "nomad" way, in a large kiln pot, hung on a tripod over an open fire."
First of all, nobody but nobody speaks English. Secondly, no Americans ever go to Lake Balaton. And third, Hungarians are not terribly friendly and they culturally do not seem to smile. Sometimes they were extremely unhelpful to the point of being rude. Finally, the Hungarian language is not related to nor derived from any other language on earth. Somehow it came into being in an isolated fashion and survived. Lucas, being a linguistics major, loves this sort of thing. The problem it gave us was that we could not figure out what anything meant when it came to signs or menus. At least French, Italian, Spanish and German have enough similarity to English that you can figure out a menu or a label at the grocery store or what someone may have said!
The economy was difficult to figure out as well. Slovenia, on the other hand, is going gangbusters. They are the richest new nation to join the European Union. Construction of new homes and upscale shops were all over the place in Ljubljana. Lake Balaton had dingy communist era buildings but interspersed would be these new or newly refurbished vacation cottages and homes. Miklos, our host for the cottage we rented and the only person we met who spoke English, explained that in the 1990's Lake Balaton was a hopping place. When the Berlin wall and the Iron Curtain existed, Hungary, though communist, was the only place German families from both sides could meet.
West and East Germans were equally allowed to travel here. Folks lined up to rent "dog houses" and "wine cellars" for vacation, he said. Today, the economy is beginning to rebound but still all of the tourists are German. He wondered why in the world we were there. Miklos, handsome and not even 30, was quite the entrepreneur. He was developing properties around the lake and seemed interested in our opinion on ways to attract Americans. He actually has a friend in Seattle and said his dream was to watch the Seattle Super Sonics and eat popcorn. I am certain one day he will.
Since we were there during World Cup and in June, there were actually very few tourists, who would be German, at Lake Balaton. In fact, they seemed to be gearing up for the tourist onslaught in July. I think the Hungarians have a love/hate relationship with the Germans based on history---the do not like Germans but they like their tourist money. I believe people assumed we were German and probably could not even tell from our speech. Always, German was spoken to us. Regardless of the cold shoulders everywhere, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this odd place.
Lake Balaton--beach
Public beach parks were everywhere and they were spotless. Typically, the park was grassy with trees and the beach had a cement wall with steps into the water. The lake was shallow and warm with a muddy sandy bottom that felt wonderful on hot tired feet. Very very pleasant--we swam every day. Hungarians, due to their rich fatty food, don't look so great in bathing suits so we felt just fine in ours. We learned quickly from a large Hungarian woman in her underwear and with half of her teeth that the metal rusty chairs in the beach parks are not to be used unless you pay some mystery person some money. At least I think that is what she meant---we were not going to argue, that's for sure, so we gave her the chair.
Our vacation cottage.
Our cottage was brand new and unlike many places in Europe, it had two bathrooms. We had three bedrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, and a Weber bar-b-q to cook outside. Also notice the satellite dish so we could keep track of the World Cup. All of this and we spent about $70 per night for the four of us to stay here. It was really hot the first day but with the skylights, doors and windows and our fans, we were able to keep it cool enough to sleep.
Paprika Hut covered in red peppers.
Paprika is everywhere in Hungary. The best sweet peppers and tomatoes grow in this area. The grocery store had these fabulous yellow green peppers that I have never seen in America. We grilled them and they were just yummy. I tried goulash but it was a little rich for me. But I did buy paprika potato chips. Mmmmmmm!
Our last evening in Lake Balaton
We found this nice restaurant and they actually had English translations of their menu. Our friendly waiter did not speak English but with pointing and a little German that Lucas had picked up like a sponge, we managed just fine. The dish on the table was a fish sampler with trout, perch, and zander. No carp. We were petrified of ordering carp by mistake. It is a garbage fish in Montana and there was no way we would try it. I was even leery of ordering trout so I had goose leg (in front in the photo) and it was delicious. This meal was extremely inexpensive compared to a similar meal in Seattle. It was a joyous and enjoyable dinner.
All in all, Hungary was a great bargain and a fun place to experience. It was nothing like anyplace else!
// posted by Janet @ 8:45 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
My Comfort Zone
Let's be perfectly honest. I am not the most courageous person. In fact, if it was not for my family, I would probably always stay home watering my plants, being on my computer a little, walking the dog, and drinking coffee while I look for whales with my trusty binoculars.
Taking off to Eastern Europe with my husband who saw all of Istanbul by himself once when he had a short lay over at the airport and my son who would travel alone through the deserts of the world with only a camel was challenging for me at times. My daughter seems equally willing to jump off the edge of the world. Geez, even my mother went to Israel after 9/11.
I do not know what happened with my genetics because certainly my Grandparents and Great Grandparents on both sides had adventuresome spirits. Otherwise, I would be watering my plants and walking my dog in Canterbury, England still. All I know is that all of the wild and crazy exploration genes I have combined with my husband's multiplied several fold in my kids. Ok, ok. I admit I can drive to Montana by myself and I took my daughter to Calgary without leaving my comfort zone.
My comfort zone became the joke of this trip. "Mom, are you out of your comfort zone?"
"Yes, breathe, I am just along for the ride. Tell me when we get to BudaPest!"
Several times this trip pushed the edges of my comfort zone. My stomach tells me the boundaries so I try to fool it with pepto-bismol which I always keep in a handy little pocket of my purse. Mostly, the issues with which I have trouble concern transportation:
1. Venice, Italy. We were staying outside of Venice a ways on purpose. My plan was to be near a train station so we could leave easily for our 4 hour train ride from Venice to Ljubljana. Lucas had purchased our tickets and made our reservations before we arrived in Europe at my request. My comfort zone requires me to be at foreign train stations about an hour ahead. This drives both my son and husband nuts who believe 10 minutes is plenty of time and according to them 2 minutes is perfect planning. The first mishap occurred on our day trip by train into Venice from our hotel.
Sure enough on the trip back from Venice to our hotel, Dave sees this train labeled "Udino" and he runs in true two minute fashion to jump on. The three of us were trailing behind and yelling at him to stop. He is language challenged and since our hotel, Villa "Odino" was located in the Quatre "d'Altino", my husband was absolutely certain the "Udino" train was correct. Oh man and the trip was just beginning.
"Will you promise me that you won't jump on trains, planes, and buses unless we are sure......PLEASE??"
"Hey, I am just trying to save time--hate to miss our train and wait another 30 minutes!" Dave tends to do this on Metros in big European cities, too. By the end of the trip, Lucas and I had control of the metro maps and I would direct us all to the correct subway while Dave would follow along.
2. Ljubljana Train Station. We arrived in Slovenia with no Slovenian money. And we were hungry and we were supposed to pick up a rental car at the train station. My husband had made the rental car arrangements. This was his only duty on the entire trip--to arrange for pick up and drop off of a rental car AND to get directions for where to pick it up and where to drop it off. I had made all of the other arrangements for accommodations.
Suffice it to say, there was no Budget Car Rental at the Ljubljana train station and pretty much nobody spoke English. We needed to call the people whose apartment we rented and Lucas's European cell phone was nearly dead and we had no money for a telephone card. "Mom, are you out of your comfort zone?" Kaley inquired.
"What do you think?", I snapped. "Ok, breathe. Dave, let us go into the Tourist Information and find out where the car rental place is. What if it is an hour away at the airport?" It turned out the car rental place was only 10 minutes away by foot so Dave took off and we waited...and waited with all of our luggage. I guess the car rental guy was on a lunch break but eventually everything worked out.
3. Croatia. We drove the four hours from Ljubljana to our vacation cottage on Lake Balaton in Hungary. We were not arriving on our scheduled rental day and though I had e-mailed someone named Miklos about our arrival, I had not heard back. So I was anxious to get to Hungary and to make sure we had a place to stay. But my family wants to take a detour into Croatia for lunch. As we are driving happily along the Slovenian freeway, Kaley is reading Rick Steves outloud about Croatia:
"Only a decade ago, [Croatia was the site] of one of the most violent European wars in a generation....Ten years of war, no tourists, and economic troubles mean that Croatia's service standards and infrastructure lag behind...Americans worry about the potential dangers of traveling in a country that was in the headlines for a bloody war...The inland is sprinkled with destroyed homes and churches...If there is anything visitors need to be aware of, it's that much of of the Croation interior was full of landmines. Almost all have been removed...But as a precaution, stay on roads...."
"WHAT the...? I am NOT hungry. I want to get to Hungary...alive and with all of my limbs. I do not want to cross the border from safe and comfortable Slovenia into Croatia." I plead to no avail.
"Mom, this is so cool. I could put another pin in my Europe map of the countries I have been to. I want to see bombed out buildings--this is so cool," said by no-fear son Lucas. Needless to say, Dave was driving and we detoured into Croatia--with no Croatian money, of course. The temperature was about 110 degrees and immediately, it looked war torn and depressed. We pulled into a pay parking lot in a village and Dave left Lucas and me with the rental car while he and Kaley searched for a cash machine and a restaurant. It took them for what seemed like forever. I guess the single cash machine was broken and they had to find a bank. Snidely, Lucas asks, "Are you out of your comfort zone, Mom?" All I could do was glare...and eat pepto-bismol from my purse.
I have to admit, we found a nice place to eat that was inexpensive and air-conditioned. We were the only people there and frankly, we were treated like royalty. So it was ok. It was ok.
And there's more. So stay tuned.
Let's be perfectly honest. I am not the most courageous person. In fact, if it was not for my family, I would probably always stay home watering my plants, being on my computer a little, walking the dog, and drinking coffee while I look for whales with my trusty binoculars.
Taking off to Eastern Europe with my husband who saw all of Istanbul by himself once when he had a short lay over at the airport and my son who would travel alone through the deserts of the world with only a camel was challenging for me at times. My daughter seems equally willing to jump off the edge of the world. Geez, even my mother went to Israel after 9/11.
I do not know what happened with my genetics because certainly my Grandparents and Great Grandparents on both sides had adventuresome spirits. Otherwise, I would be watering my plants and walking my dog in Canterbury, England still. All I know is that all of the wild and crazy exploration genes I have combined with my husband's multiplied several fold in my kids. Ok, ok. I admit I can drive to Montana by myself and I took my daughter to Calgary without leaving my comfort zone.
My comfort zone became the joke of this trip. "Mom, are you out of your comfort zone?"
"Yes, breathe, I am just along for the ride. Tell me when we get to BudaPest!"
Several times this trip pushed the edges of my comfort zone. My stomach tells me the boundaries so I try to fool it with pepto-bismol which I always keep in a handy little pocket of my purse. Mostly, the issues with which I have trouble concern transportation:
1. Venice, Italy. We were staying outside of Venice a ways on purpose. My plan was to be near a train station so we could leave easily for our 4 hour train ride from Venice to Ljubljana. Lucas had purchased our tickets and made our reservations before we arrived in Europe at my request. My comfort zone requires me to be at foreign train stations about an hour ahead. This drives both my son and husband nuts who believe 10 minutes is plenty of time and according to them 2 minutes is perfect planning. The first mishap occurred on our day trip by train into Venice from our hotel.
Sure enough on the trip back from Venice to our hotel, Dave sees this train labeled "Udino" and he runs in true two minute fashion to jump on. The three of us were trailing behind and yelling at him to stop. He is language challenged and since our hotel, Villa "Odino" was located in the Quatre "d'Altino", my husband was absolutely certain the "Udino" train was correct. Oh man and the trip was just beginning.
"Will you promise me that you won't jump on trains, planes, and buses unless we are sure......PLEASE??"
"Hey, I am just trying to save time--hate to miss our train and wait another 30 minutes!" Dave tends to do this on Metros in big European cities, too. By the end of the trip, Lucas and I had control of the metro maps and I would direct us all to the correct subway while Dave would follow along.
2. Ljubljana Train Station. We arrived in Slovenia with no Slovenian money. And we were hungry and we were supposed to pick up a rental car at the train station. My husband had made the rental car arrangements. This was his only duty on the entire trip--to arrange for pick up and drop off of a rental car AND to get directions for where to pick it up and where to drop it off. I had made all of the other arrangements for accommodations.
Suffice it to say, there was no Budget Car Rental at the Ljubljana train station and pretty much nobody spoke English. We needed to call the people whose apartment we rented and Lucas's European cell phone was nearly dead and we had no money for a telephone card. "Mom, are you out of your comfort zone?" Kaley inquired.
"What do you think?", I snapped. "Ok, breathe. Dave, let us go into the Tourist Information and find out where the car rental place is. What if it is an hour away at the airport?" It turned out the car rental place was only 10 minutes away by foot so Dave took off and we waited...and waited with all of our luggage. I guess the car rental guy was on a lunch break but eventually everything worked out.
3. Croatia. We drove the four hours from Ljubljana to our vacation cottage on Lake Balaton in Hungary. We were not arriving on our scheduled rental day and though I had e-mailed someone named Miklos about our arrival, I had not heard back. So I was anxious to get to Hungary and to make sure we had a place to stay. But my family wants to take a detour into Croatia for lunch. As we are driving happily along the Slovenian freeway, Kaley is reading Rick Steves outloud about Croatia:
"Only a decade ago, [Croatia was the site] of one of the most violent European wars in a generation....Ten years of war, no tourists, and economic troubles mean that Croatia's service standards and infrastructure lag behind...Americans worry about the potential dangers of traveling in a country that was in the headlines for a bloody war...The inland is sprinkled with destroyed homes and churches...If there is anything visitors need to be aware of, it's that much of of the Croation interior was full of landmines. Almost all have been removed...But as a precaution, stay on roads...."
"WHAT the...? I am NOT hungry. I want to get to Hungary...alive and with all of my limbs. I do not want to cross the border from safe and comfortable Slovenia into Croatia." I plead to no avail.
"Mom, this is so cool. I could put another pin in my Europe map of the countries I have been to. I want to see bombed out buildings--this is so cool," said by no-fear son Lucas. Needless to say, Dave was driving and we detoured into Croatia--with no Croatian money, of course. The temperature was about 110 degrees and immediately, it looked war torn and depressed. We pulled into a pay parking lot in a village and Dave left Lucas and me with the rental car while he and Kaley searched for a cash machine and a restaurant. It took them for what seemed like forever. I guess the single cash machine was broken and they had to find a bank. Snidely, Lucas asks, "Are you out of your comfort zone, Mom?" All I could do was glare...and eat pepto-bismol from my purse.
I have to admit, we found a nice place to eat that was inexpensive and air-conditioned. We were the only people there and frankly, we were treated like royalty. So it was ok. It was ok.
And there's more. So stay tuned.
// posted by Janet @ 7:57 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Favorites From Our Trip
1. Venice, Italy. This city is astoundingly beautiful if you stay away from St. Mark's Square. Our travel guru is Rick Steves. His business and home are right down the road from us in Edmonds. Culturally, he is very much like us so his opinions and recommendations have worked well for us for years. On this trip, I had his book about Eastern Europe always in hand. Anyway, he tells people to walk out of the touristy areas in Venice to find gems. We discovered that a canal side cafe off the beaten path had prices exactly half those of the cafes on St. Mark's Plaza. Plus, there were no people. We do not like tour bus loads of folks who inevitably seem to be from Texas. With Rick Steves, we have managed to visit places where we have found true local flavor without the masses.
Rialto Bridge, Venice
More Venice
Half Price Cafe on a canal.
2. Ljubljana, Slovenia. This city is amazing. It was spotless. In fact, we would see teenagers dressed in black pants and skirts with white shirts and bow ties or white blouses and white gloves cleaning the streets of litter--dressed up to clean garbage. I could not even imagine??!! The architecture was gorgeous and the city was small enough that we actually drove a car and parked. I highly recommend a visit here. Many people speak English and are warm and friendly though it is a little more pricey than Hungary.
And a River Runs through it.
Typical Restaurant near river with adorable English speaking waiter who took this.
3. All of Slovenia. Slovenia is mountainous and reminds me a lot of Montana with its lakes and rivers. We even explored caves and caverns which were like the Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana only much more massive. Another difference is Slovenia has medieval castles built right into the cliffs and caves. And castles guard its Flathead Lake (MT)--like places.
Pedjama Castle
Lake Bled with Castle
1. Venice, Italy. This city is astoundingly beautiful if you stay away from St. Mark's Square. Our travel guru is Rick Steves. His business and home are right down the road from us in Edmonds. Culturally, he is very much like us so his opinions and recommendations have worked well for us for years. On this trip, I had his book about Eastern Europe always in hand. Anyway, he tells people to walk out of the touristy areas in Venice to find gems. We discovered that a canal side cafe off the beaten path had prices exactly half those of the cafes on St. Mark's Plaza. Plus, there were no people. We do not like tour bus loads of folks who inevitably seem to be from Texas. With Rick Steves, we have managed to visit places where we have found true local flavor without the masses.
Rialto Bridge, Venice
More Venice
Half Price Cafe on a canal.
2. Ljubljana, Slovenia. This city is amazing. It was spotless. In fact, we would see teenagers dressed in black pants and skirts with white shirts and bow ties or white blouses and white gloves cleaning the streets of litter--dressed up to clean garbage. I could not even imagine??!! The architecture was gorgeous and the city was small enough that we actually drove a car and parked. I highly recommend a visit here. Many people speak English and are warm and friendly though it is a little more pricey than Hungary.
And a River Runs through it.
Typical Restaurant near river with adorable English speaking waiter who took this.
3. All of Slovenia. Slovenia is mountainous and reminds me a lot of Montana with its lakes and rivers. We even explored caves and caverns which were like the Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana only much more massive. Another difference is Slovenia has medieval castles built right into the cliffs and caves. And castles guard its Flathead Lake (MT)--like places.
Pedjama Castle
Lake Bled with Castle
// posted by Janet @ 9:55 AM
0 comments
Saturday, July 08, 2006
What We Did Yesterday!
While Kaley was practicing a Mozart piece at church to sing for tomorrow, Lucas and I went hiking. This is one of the things he missed most in Europe. We headed up to Stevens Pass and took a day hike for a lunch time picnic. Even though it is now July, all of that rain we had last winter was snow in the mountains and it is still there as you can see.
The view of the Cascades from the trail.
Playing in the snow.
Hope Lake along Tunnel Creek---my Grandpa probably had trap lines along this creek.
While Kaley was practicing a Mozart piece at church to sing for tomorrow, Lucas and I went hiking. This is one of the things he missed most in Europe. We headed up to Stevens Pass and took a day hike for a lunch time picnic. Even though it is now July, all of that rain we had last winter was snow in the mountains and it is still there as you can see.
The view of the Cascades from the trail.
Playing in the snow.
Hope Lake along Tunnel Creek---my Grandpa probably had trap lines along this creek.
// posted by Janet @ 12:16 PM
0 comments
Friday, July 07, 2006
The World is a Text Book
When we travel to Europe, fun is not the only reason. Most of our trips involve some sort of meeting for my husband. The last couple of times have been for pleasure but always we attempt to learn and expand our ideas. When my children were little--ages 7 and 10--and we lived and traveled for several months in and around France, I made them do a gigantic time line. Every medieval castle we visited or Roman ruin was drawn in and labled. The main point of reference was the life of Jesus. All of the ornate cathedrals and a good share of the art we would see in museums were devoted to His worship so having Jesus as the focal point was appropriate.
Of course, for my children questions are still asked. For example, church after church after church in Europe is filled with gold and jewels. Why? Why weren't the poor fed instead? While in Vienna, we visited the Treasury in the Hofburg palace which holds the family jewels of the Hapsburgs who ruled for 700 years. They were Roman Catholic and in addition to emerald and ruby bedecked crowns and orbs were lots of fancy crucifixes. Some even had jewels studding the nails through His hands and feet. For my kids, seeing Jesus hanging in pain on the cross around every corner always brings up my remark that Episcopalians have plain crosses because we do not believe Jesus is still on the cross. He miraculously got out of that mess alive and well. My daughter responded that she could picture Jesus smashing the place up and screaming "not in my name."
The other big issue in Europe is war and particularly World War II. So many ancient and gorgeous buildings were destroyed by bombs. And millions of people were horrendously murdered because of their religion or ethnicity. My own father participated in the bombing before he was shot down and held by the Nazi's for nine months. So the effects of this war are personal for me. Three times I was moved to tears and again the word "why?" is the only response I had.
1)Ljubljana, Slovenia. In this beautiful city, we visited the castle/fortress on the hill in the middle of town. We watched a video about the history and they seemed to gloss over WW2. But they did mention in passing that the center of the city which was occupied by the Nazi's was surrounded by barbed wire and used as a concentration camp. "What? Right where I am standing and having one of the times of my life?"
Dave and me--Ljubljana Castle
2)BudaPest, Hungary. The first building we saw in this amazing city was the Great Synagogue--the world's second largest after New York. Before WW2, 5% of Hungary's population was Jewish and 25% or one quarter of all of the citizens of BudaPest were Jewish. Six hundred thousand (600,000) Jewish Hungarians were brutally murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Today only one half of 1% of Hungary is Jewish and virtually all of these folks live in Buda Pest.
Not only were the Jews rounded up and loaded on trains and shipped to Auschwitz, Poland but they were lined up along the Danube River which separates Buda from Pest in this lovely city and shot. In an attempt to save bullets, the Nazis would tie the vicitms together in groups and shoot one and shove them into the cold waters. "What? Right where we stand? Right here in the gentle rain?"
Lucas's haunting picture of the Danube in BudaPest
3) Vienna, Austria. Right in the middle of the major tourist attractions near the Opera in this city is an unassuming monument called the Monument Against War and Fascism, The Gates of Violence. The sculpture was carved out of marble from a nearby quarry in the concentration camp of Mauthausen. It depicts victims of all wars of violence including the 1938-1945 rule of Austria by the Nazis. Images include a World War 1 gas mask. My English grandmother's only brother was gassed by the Germans during WW1. Also, included is a Jew forced to clean anti-Nazi graffiti off the streets of Vienna with a toothbrush. The monument is placed on a site where several hundred people were buried alive during a WW2 bombing attack. "What? Right across the street from where we enjoyed Viennese coffee at an outdoor cafe?"
The "monument" in Vienna.
Why? When we will ever learn? Will we ever learn?
When we travel to Europe, fun is not the only reason. Most of our trips involve some sort of meeting for my husband. The last couple of times have been for pleasure but always we attempt to learn and expand our ideas. When my children were little--ages 7 and 10--and we lived and traveled for several months in and around France, I made them do a gigantic time line. Every medieval castle we visited or Roman ruin was drawn in and labled. The main point of reference was the life of Jesus. All of the ornate cathedrals and a good share of the art we would see in museums were devoted to His worship so having Jesus as the focal point was appropriate.
Of course, for my children questions are still asked. For example, church after church after church in Europe is filled with gold and jewels. Why? Why weren't the poor fed instead? While in Vienna, we visited the Treasury in the Hofburg palace which holds the family jewels of the Hapsburgs who ruled for 700 years. They were Roman Catholic and in addition to emerald and ruby bedecked crowns and orbs were lots of fancy crucifixes. Some even had jewels studding the nails through His hands and feet. For my kids, seeing Jesus hanging in pain on the cross around every corner always brings up my remark that Episcopalians have plain crosses because we do not believe Jesus is still on the cross. He miraculously got out of that mess alive and well. My daughter responded that she could picture Jesus smashing the place up and screaming "not in my name."
The other big issue in Europe is war and particularly World War II. So many ancient and gorgeous buildings were destroyed by bombs. And millions of people were horrendously murdered because of their religion or ethnicity. My own father participated in the bombing before he was shot down and held by the Nazi's for nine months. So the effects of this war are personal for me. Three times I was moved to tears and again the word "why?" is the only response I had.
1)Ljubljana, Slovenia. In this beautiful city, we visited the castle/fortress on the hill in the middle of town. We watched a video about the history and they seemed to gloss over WW2. But they did mention in passing that the center of the city which was occupied by the Nazi's was surrounded by barbed wire and used as a concentration camp. "What? Right where I am standing and having one of the times of my life?"
Dave and me--Ljubljana Castle
2)BudaPest, Hungary. The first building we saw in this amazing city was the Great Synagogue--the world's second largest after New York. Before WW2, 5% of Hungary's population was Jewish and 25% or one quarter of all of the citizens of BudaPest were Jewish. Six hundred thousand (600,000) Jewish Hungarians were brutally murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Today only one half of 1% of Hungary is Jewish and virtually all of these folks live in Buda Pest.
Not only were the Jews rounded up and loaded on trains and shipped to Auschwitz, Poland but they were lined up along the Danube River which separates Buda from Pest in this lovely city and shot. In an attempt to save bullets, the Nazis would tie the vicitms together in groups and shoot one and shove them into the cold waters. "What? Right where we stand? Right here in the gentle rain?"
Lucas's haunting picture of the Danube in BudaPest
3) Vienna, Austria. Right in the middle of the major tourist attractions near the Opera in this city is an unassuming monument called the Monument Against War and Fascism, The Gates of Violence. The sculpture was carved out of marble from a nearby quarry in the concentration camp of Mauthausen. It depicts victims of all wars of violence including the 1938-1945 rule of Austria by the Nazis. Images include a World War 1 gas mask. My English grandmother's only brother was gassed by the Germans during WW1. Also, included is a Jew forced to clean anti-Nazi graffiti off the streets of Vienna with a toothbrush. The monument is placed on a site where several hundred people were buried alive during a WW2 bombing attack. "What? Right across the street from where we enjoyed Viennese coffee at an outdoor cafe?"
The "monument" in Vienna.
Why? When we will ever learn? Will we ever learn?
// posted by Janet @ 7:20 AM
0 comments
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Raining but I am NOT Complaining
At the moment, on the vast and beautiful Puget Sound, we are experiencing a misty rain and 57 degrees. I love it. In both Slovenia and Hungary, we had some hot hot days that we could not tolerate. Unlike the United States, the places are not air-conditioned and our vacation cottages with our beds up in second floor lofts were like ovens. In Ljubljana we bought two fans for 9 euros each and since we had a rental car, we hauled the fans with us to Hungary. Nobody around here has AC--not even Bill Gates I would imagine because you open a window and receive the most wonderful breeze off of our cool waters. And we do not have many flies or bugs.
Kaley, who was reading "The Poisonwood Bible" about a Baptist missionary family suffering in the Congo kept reminding us that we were weakling pansies. And Lucas kept rubbing it in that it was a whole lot worse in Morrocco where he had visited a couple of weeks earlier. They were right, of course. Luckily, it cooled down in Hungary on Lake Balaton and it even rained on our day trip into BudaPest. There we were--the four of us--Seattleites traipsing around BudaPest with no jackets or umbrellas and enjoying every single rain drop. It felt fabulous; people thought we were nuts. Kaley and I did not even care about our hair--we had been living without hair dryers or curling irons because the plugs are all different. Both of us have curly hair and the rain makes it curlier. For some reason, even the hint of rain or a cloud causes Europeans to put up an umbrella.
Anyway, I will have pictures. I did not take our digital camera because it is big and clunky and I did not want to drop it again. Besides, both Lucas and Kaley have small compact digitals and they promised they would share while my disposables are being developed. More later!
At the moment, on the vast and beautiful Puget Sound, we are experiencing a misty rain and 57 degrees. I love it. In both Slovenia and Hungary, we had some hot hot days that we could not tolerate. Unlike the United States, the places are not air-conditioned and our vacation cottages with our beds up in second floor lofts were like ovens. In Ljubljana we bought two fans for 9 euros each and since we had a rental car, we hauled the fans with us to Hungary. Nobody around here has AC--not even Bill Gates I would imagine because you open a window and receive the most wonderful breeze off of our cool waters. And we do not have many flies or bugs.
Kaley, who was reading "The Poisonwood Bible" about a Baptist missionary family suffering in the Congo kept reminding us that we were weakling pansies. And Lucas kept rubbing it in that it was a whole lot worse in Morrocco where he had visited a couple of weeks earlier. They were right, of course. Luckily, it cooled down in Hungary on Lake Balaton and it even rained on our day trip into BudaPest. There we were--the four of us--Seattleites traipsing around BudaPest with no jackets or umbrellas and enjoying every single rain drop. It felt fabulous; people thought we were nuts. Kaley and I did not even care about our hair--we had been living without hair dryers or curling irons because the plugs are all different. Both of us have curly hair and the rain makes it curlier. For some reason, even the hint of rain or a cloud causes Europeans to put up an umbrella.
Anyway, I will have pictures. I did not take our digital camera because it is big and clunky and I did not want to drop it again. Besides, both Lucas and Kaley have small compact digitals and they promised they would share while my disposables are being developed. More later!
// posted by Janet @ 8:54 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
The World Cup
We have had the good fortune of being in France twice in the past years during the Tour de France. We did not actually see any of the race live but we saw the route being set up, bicycles delivered, and the Champs Elysses being prepared for the finale in Paris. The TV in places we'd stay would have coverage and one could not help but overhear shop keepers discuss Lance Armstrong. But this was nothing compared to being in Europe during the World Cup.
Frankly, if you are a sports person, you really have not lived until you have sampled the world's fervor over the World Cup. We were never in Berlin where the games are being played but every village and every bar had TV screens in all of Europe where people would gather to watch. It was the number one topic of discussion. We even met a Dutch guy on the train as we traveled from Venice, Italy to Ljubljana, Slovenia who was visiting every country in Europe when their team was playing. He wanted to be a part of the excitement.
We would hear people cheering in the bars and in the streets if a favorite team was successful. Everywhere we went there were soccer souvenirs. Even the toilet paper in the apartment we rented in Ljubljana had soccer players in a pattern. We came home with soccer chocolates from Vienna. It all made me realize how completely unimportant the United States is to the rest of the world. They do not care about our local football SuperBowl nor do they know a thing about our internal baseball World Series. World Cup soccer actually involves the entire world---North America, South America, the countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe. This is a huge huge event bigger than the Olympics and we are a minor insignificant participant.
My son retuurned home today. He did not come home with us yesterday but he spent one more day with his friends in Munich, Germany. As we were bringing him home from the airport, he sang for us the German cheer song his friends taught him. All he could talk about was the game between Germany and Italy today in the semi-finals.
The United States needs to get over itself and realize an entire globe exists beyond our borders. And these folks are proud of their countries and their "real" football teams.
We have had the good fortune of being in France twice in the past years during the Tour de France. We did not actually see any of the race live but we saw the route being set up, bicycles delivered, and the Champs Elysses being prepared for the finale in Paris. The TV in places we'd stay would have coverage and one could not help but overhear shop keepers discuss Lance Armstrong. But this was nothing compared to being in Europe during the World Cup.
Frankly, if you are a sports person, you really have not lived until you have sampled the world's fervor over the World Cup. We were never in Berlin where the games are being played but every village and every bar had TV screens in all of Europe where people would gather to watch. It was the number one topic of discussion. We even met a Dutch guy on the train as we traveled from Venice, Italy to Ljubljana, Slovenia who was visiting every country in Europe when their team was playing. He wanted to be a part of the excitement.
We would hear people cheering in the bars and in the streets if a favorite team was successful. Everywhere we went there were soccer souvenirs. Even the toilet paper in the apartment we rented in Ljubljana had soccer players in a pattern. We came home with soccer chocolates from Vienna. It all made me realize how completely unimportant the United States is to the rest of the world. They do not care about our local football SuperBowl nor do they know a thing about our internal baseball World Series. World Cup soccer actually involves the entire world---North America, South America, the countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe. This is a huge huge event bigger than the Olympics and we are a minor insignificant participant.
My son retuurned home today. He did not come home with us yesterday but he spent one more day with his friends in Munich, Germany. As we were bringing him home from the airport, he sang for us the German cheer song his friends taught him. All he could talk about was the game between Germany and Italy today in the semi-finals.
The United States needs to get over itself and realize an entire globe exists beyond our borders. And these folks are proud of their countries and their "real" football teams.
// posted by Janet @ 8:59 PM
0 comments
Did We Get An Earful Or What!!
Whatever your opinion about our President, the fact is the rest of the world dislikes the man intensely. It is undeniable--accept it. He is blamed for provoking violence and stirring the pot of terrorism and making things a thousand times worse since September 11. I feel sadness about it. The world was with us after that fateful terrible day and Bush blew it--he blew the goodwill and he continues to blow it. The United States is no longer respected nor held in high regard solely because of Bush. (Luckily, the hatred does not spill over to plain old Americans like us.)
Let me give three examples:
1) When we arrived in Hungary, Bush had recently been in Budapest. He made some ridiculous statement comparing some of Hungary's struggles to Iraq. They cannot be compared and people were miffed at his lack of knowledge and lack of respect for the history of the area. And then we were told that all of Budapest was shut down to accommodate Bush with thousands of people inconvenienced. The arrogance of it all does not go unnoticed, believe me.
2) Our taxi driver in Vienna, originally from Egypt, described to us in English and in great detail Bush's visit a few days before to Vienna. For two days the entire downtown area was barricaded with no entry or escape. In addition, the road to the airport was blocked off. Our cab driver lost two days of business AND he was not allowed or able to return to his home the night Bush slept soundly in a fancy downtown hotel suite. He told us it was very difficult to explain to his child why Daddy could not come home. His opinion was that if Bush is so afraid and scared of the citizens of Vienna, Austria he should've just stayed home. What I cannot understand is that if I was George or Laura, I'd be horrified and embarrassed to have caused such a major disturbance of people's families and lives. Does he not care? This type of grandstanding only aggravates the image of the United States in the rest of the world. Who do we think we are?
3) And finally, the graffitti and the posters in some of the wine bars and cafes where we ate revealed the clear feelings of Europeans about our leader. And it isn't good. It is one thing to have a street or two blocked off creating a traffic nightmare for a few hours. It is an entirely different matter to shut down an entire city--tends to make folks even more angry.
Whatever your opinion about our President, the fact is the rest of the world dislikes the man intensely. It is undeniable--accept it. He is blamed for provoking violence and stirring the pot of terrorism and making things a thousand times worse since September 11. I feel sadness about it. The world was with us after that fateful terrible day and Bush blew it--he blew the goodwill and he continues to blow it. The United States is no longer respected nor held in high regard solely because of Bush. (Luckily, the hatred does not spill over to plain old Americans like us.)
Let me give three examples:
1) When we arrived in Hungary, Bush had recently been in Budapest. He made some ridiculous statement comparing some of Hungary's struggles to Iraq. They cannot be compared and people were miffed at his lack of knowledge and lack of respect for the history of the area. And then we were told that all of Budapest was shut down to accommodate Bush with thousands of people inconvenienced. The arrogance of it all does not go unnoticed, believe me.
2) Our taxi driver in Vienna, originally from Egypt, described to us in English and in great detail Bush's visit a few days before to Vienna. For two days the entire downtown area was barricaded with no entry or escape. In addition, the road to the airport was blocked off. Our cab driver lost two days of business AND he was not allowed or able to return to his home the night Bush slept soundly in a fancy downtown hotel suite. He told us it was very difficult to explain to his child why Daddy could not come home. His opinion was that if Bush is so afraid and scared of the citizens of Vienna, Austria he should've just stayed home. What I cannot understand is that if I was George or Laura, I'd be horrified and embarrassed to have caused such a major disturbance of people's families and lives. Does he not care? This type of grandstanding only aggravates the image of the United States in the rest of the world. Who do we think we are?
3) And finally, the graffitti and the posters in some of the wine bars and cafes where we ate revealed the clear feelings of Europeans about our leader. And it isn't good. It is one thing to have a street or two blocked off creating a traffic nightmare for a few hours. It is an entirely different matter to shut down an entire city--tends to make folks even more angry.
// posted by Janet @ 9:53 AM
0 comments
Monday, July 03, 2006
"I'm Back"
So many things--so many things. Suffice it to say that people around the world are exactly the same. Mothers and fathers love their children and families enjoy doing things with one another. We went to Venice, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Vienna, Austria where Dave left a little sack of souvenirs somewhere--probably on the big ferris wheel. I am glad to be home and probably this is the last time in a while we will travel to Europe. There is something about trying to figure out the train stations, the money, the Metros, and trying to figure out where we are when we are lost that is just plain tiring. The next time we go somewhere, it'll be Orcas Island or Copalis Beach. More later with pictures. Jet lag---good night.
So many things--so many things. Suffice it to say that people around the world are exactly the same. Mothers and fathers love their children and families enjoy doing things with one another. We went to Venice, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Vienna, Austria where Dave left a little sack of souvenirs somewhere--probably on the big ferris wheel. I am glad to be home and probably this is the last time in a while we will travel to Europe. There is something about trying to figure out the train stations, the money, the Metros, and trying to figure out where we are when we are lost that is just plain tiring. The next time we go somewhere, it'll be Orcas Island or Copalis Beach. More later with pictures. Jet lag---good night.
// posted by Janet @ 8:45 PM
0 comments
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